Get ready for the most fascinating deer facts for kids including deer diet, habitat, behavior, and widespread distribution. The deer is an even-toed mammal that belongs to the family of Cervidae. Other animals that fall under this family include black-tailed deer, mule deer, reindeer, elk, moose, chital, roe deer, white-tailed deer, and fallow deer.
All the male deer and the female reindeer are known to discard their horns each year. Chinese water deer is an exception to this. There are certain deer species that are not considered to be deer altogether such as water chevrotain and musk deer as these animals belong to the separate families (Tragulidae and Moschidar). Ever deer species exhibit its distinctive nature.
White-tailed deer is the mammal includes a sequence of tines developing upwards from a forward-curving core beam.
Deer Facts For Kids
- The weight of the deer ranges from 30 – 300 kg (70 – 700 lb), and the smallest deer is Northern Pudu and it weighs around 10 kg (20 lb).
- The largest deer in the world is Moose that weighs around 431 kg (1,000 lb). These types of species have strong muscular legs with a robust body that are perfectly adaptable to the rugged woodland terrain.
- Deer are also outstanding swimmers and jumpers.
- All deer are herbivorous with the exception of a few species that also eat meat.
- All deer have antlers or horns except Chinese Water Deer that only have tusks.
- These mammals are the regular grazers as their teeth are perfectly designed for this.
- The physical markings, spots, and stripes are entirely dependent on the type of species. Most of them are brown in color with or without any marks on the body.
- They have a strange zig-zag running technique and this dodging style not only forces its predator to do some extra effort but it also tests the mettle of those chasing them. Cheetah, for example, is one of the most frequent predators of deer but the latter makes the former to run as more as it can. As you know that cheetah can accelerate quickly but it does so in short bursts; although deer do not run as fast as cheetah but it certainly puts the cheetah’s stamina to the test.
Distribution and Habitat
- As we know from these deer facts for kids that they are extensively distributed across all the continents of the world except in Australia and Antarctica.
- The continent of Africa hosts only one deer species that is Red Deer and it inhabits in the Atlas Mountains. Nevertheless, one of the species has been brought in South Africa which was Fallow Deer.
- These mammals are known to reside in the diversity of habitats that extends from tropical rainforest to tundra. Not all deer species dwell in forests, there are some that are ecotone deer in that they inhabit in regions that is neither dense nor too open like savanna or prairie.
- However, most of these animals live in the moderate deciduous forests, mountain mixed coniferous forest, savanna habitat, and tropical forests.
- Some of the deer species like to build habitats in thick forests and are regularly seen in wide areas, for example muntjacs living in Asia while in Central and South America the pudus and brocket deer generally practice this. the Indian Muntjac is an exception to this.
- Certain deer species are restricted to wet savannas, grasslands, swamps, mountains, riparian corridors that are dominated by deserts. These types of mammals are highly expert in these areas.
- The Canadian Rocky Mountain in North America hosts the largest concentration of deer population.
- Apart from this Rocky Mountain, the Columbia Mountain also shares most of the world’s deer species.
- There are around 5 deer species in these mountainous ranges. These species include Caribous, Moose, Mule Deer, White-tailed deer, and Elk.
- In British Columbia, there are several parks where deer can be found for example Glacial National Park, Kootenay National Park, Yoho National Park, Jasper National Park, Mount Revelstoke National Park, and Banff National Park. Quite a few number of individuals are also found at higher elevations while some lives in the foothills, river valleys, mountainous ranges, and deciduous parklands.
- In Europe, you may find fallow deer, red deer, and roe deer especially in the Nationals parks.
- Some of the most common places where the species inhabit include Caucasus Mountains, Asia Minor, and Northwest Iran. They can also be found in Donana National Park, Bialowieza National Park, Scottish Highlands, and Ardennes.
- The places where there is temperate climate like Asia, deer are abundant and they fancy their living in deciduous forests, taiga, and Manchuria (Russia).
- Siberian Deer, Moose, Elk, and Sika Deer are commonly in the most deciduous forests that run along the Russian border.
- Some of the deer species have been given historical significance due to their horns; these places include Tungusic, Han Chinese, Sami Finland People, Mongolians, Turkic Peoples and Scandinavian Peoples; while the deer are Central Asian deer, red deer, and Thorold’s deer.
- In Asia, the largest deer population can be found in Southern and Northern India’s Gangetic Plain Regions and Nepal’s Region.
- These types of fertile plains comprise of dry deciduous forests, and moist forests that hosts hog deer, Indian sambar, Indian muntjac, chital, and barasingha.
- Hog deer are considered to be solitary mammals as they like to graze alone. In India, numerous parks are home to these species and that includes Wilpattu National Park, Kanha National Park, Yala National Park, and Dudhwa National Park.
Feeding Ecology and Diet
- Although all deer species are herbivorous, there are few that have meat in their diet. Most of the deer species are choosy feeders and they are considered as an absolute browser.
- The deer largely graze on grasses for quite a few hours.
- They spend a lot of hours in case there is no danger. Their teeth are specialized in feeding leaves, fresh grasses, fungi, fruit, and lichens.
- Ever deer species exhibit its distinctive nature. White-tailed deer is the mammal includes a sequence of tines developing upwards from a forward-curving core beam.
Different Types of Deer
- Gongshan Muntjac
- Giant Muntjac
- Leaf Muntjac
- Hairy-fronted Muntjac
- Fea’s Muntjac
- Sumatran Muntjac
- Roosevelt’s Muntjac
- Reeve’s Muntjac
- Truong Muntjac
- Bornean yellow Muntjac
- Fallow Deer
- Hog Deer
- Sambar
- Sunda Sambar
- Philippine Sambar
- Calamian Deer
- Bacterian Deer
- Sichuan Wapiti
- Maral Deer
- Kashmir Stag
- American Wapiti
- Sika Deer
- Yarkand Deer
- Little Red Brocket
- Pygmy Brocket
- Dwarf Brocket
- Gray Brocket
- Merida Brocket
- Amazonian Brown Brocket
- Marsh Deer
- Barasingha
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